Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-20
DANGER BRAVELY FACEb.
GOODNESS AND COURAGE AT SEA
AVERTS AN OCEAN HORROR.

Steamship with Over 400 Souls on Board
Takes Fire-Captain and Crew DO Sailors
Ashore-Details of a Perilous Situation
A Chance for the Missing.
QUEENSTOWN, Aug 2o-On the evening of
Aug II fire was discovered in the hold of the
steamship City of Montreal, five days out
from New York for this port, and in a few
hours the vessel was totally destroyed She
had on board 40 passengers and was loaded
principally with cotton. She was an iron
screw steamer, 432 feet long, A feet beam
and 81 feet depth Of hold, and had nine bulk
heads Some uneasiness had been felt for her
safety here, as she was four days overdue
when the news of her destruction was re-
ceived
The fire originated in the cotton stored in
the after main hold Nine streams of water
were soon working on the flames and the
course of the vessel was shaped toward New
foundland, 400 miles distant. The flames
spread with great rapidity and soon had burst
out with terrific force through the midway
and after matches, the heat being intense 1t
save the ship, momentary panic ensued
The boats were eight in number, and con-
sisted of four lifeboats and four pinnaces.
These were launched and stocked with pro-
visions. The flames spread with great fierce
ness and the efforts to quench them were
soon found futile. At O'Clock in the morn
ing the passengers were marshaled on deck,
preparatory to entering the boats. Many of
them were weeping but on the whole they
were quiet and orderly. The family groups
presented a sight ptiful to see as they hud-
died together in fear and trembling There
was heavy sea running, and it was with
great difficulty that the boats were kept from
being smashed The crew worked splendidly
and all the passengers were placed in boats
in comparatively short time. How the
boats fioated with their loads is miracle.
As the last boat was putting off from the
ship several OF the passengers and crew were
seen aft They had been overlooked and
were screaming to the boats to return. They
were subsequently bravely rescued, half dead
from the effects of the smoke and heat. The
masts Of ship were seen on the horizon,
but ten hours elapsed before it came near.
The boats soon scattered, and one entirely
vanished This contained Two stewards, two
| seamen and seven passengers and there is
| but little doubt that the whole boatload per-
| ished. The boat did not contain a full crew,
and left the City of Montreal against the cap
| tain's orders, as there was room to take many
more IN it. The other survivors consider the
| fate of the occupants of the lost boat as a
| Judgment for their cowardice.
A bark was sighted shortly after the boats
| he Staa and har uara Y,rapa rim
to pick up the survivors, when the steamer
| York City, attracted by the flames from the
burning vessel which were shooting up a
hundred feet in the air, bore down and with
difficulty took all hands on board.
| The rescued people were treated with the
utmost kindness by the captain and crew of
the York City, and the passengers speak with
much feeling of the consideration which was
accorded to them The York City proceeded
to London after landing the City of Mon
| treal's passengers and crew at Queenstown
| The survivors are unanimous in declaring
that the officers and crew of the CITY of
| Montreal did their duty noblv and skllfully
| The names of those in the missing boat are
| Storage passengers-Ssmuel Kaufman,
George Arnold, Samuel Mckee; intermediate
-Kenard Woolton, Stephen Upper, Simon
| Rowtely, S. kacheingka: crew-Henry
Frazer, Charles Reade, William Franney,
Patrick Hughes, trimmer; Charles Smith, in
terpreter; Thomas Wilberforce, steward
In an interview Capt F. s Land, made
the following statement concerning the des-
tIuctiou of his vessel by fire:
THE wind was blowing moderately, but
with increasing velocity, north-northwest,
when the fire was discovered at $50 D. m.
| When it was found TO be necessary to aban-
don the ship, the women and children were
put into the boats first, and the male pas
sengers and crew followed them. The boats
were not manned by their regularly allotted
crews, as the men were kept battling with
the flames until the last moment But No s.
whose crew behaved in a most cowardly
manner, sailed away from the ship as soon a,
it was manned and filled, in direct defiance
of my orders and if its occupants are LOST
nobody but themselves is to blame. 1t is i'm.
possible to bestow too much praise upon
Capt Benn of the York City, who shared
his own property, clothing, etc, with every
body in need, and surrendered every comfort
that was his own or that his ship afforded tc
others The missing boat has a good chanc,
of being saved. She is right in the track Of
smoke and heat almost ruined the eyes Of
myself, the chief officer and several other:
belonging to the ship as well as some of the
passengers, and we will all be purblind fol-
some time to come The chief officer had t
be led to the boats and suffered terribly. HI
was totally blind for two days. The crew O
the city of Montreal were cool, steady ant
obedient The passengers and crew los
everything except what they wore. Th'
fire undeniably started in several place;
among the cotton.
The passengers and crew of the burneC
steamship presented a pitiable sight wher
they landed here. Blackened blistered anC
smoke hegrimmed faces were plentiful anC
many of the unfortunates were scarcely abb
to walk in consequence of the terrible nerv
Gus shock they had sustained The InmaI
company's agents forwarded to their destina
tions all of the passengers who were able o.
prepared to travel. and sedulously studiet
the comfort of those who were not, provid
ing them with ample means of rest and re
cuperstion-
A baruue undertook to cruise around ate
, the steamer York City had picked up tn
passengers of the City of Montreal, and Their
, is therefore reason to hspe that the missini
! boat may he found and its occupants rescued
+, The passengers of the City of Montreal hav
: presented an address to Capt Land thankin
him for their safety and praising his brav
conduct
T. TI.s. III .E.,..